The British Museum uses cookies to ensure you have the best browsing experience
and to help us improve the site.
By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to
our use of cookies. (Last updated: 12 January 2017)
Find out more

Collection online

The two journals. Journal 11

Object type

Museum number

1866,0407.280

Title (object)

The two journals. Journal 11

Description

A companion plate to No. 12290, with the same imprint. A sequence of eight scenes, arranged in two rows, each with an inscription below it. [1] The Regent lies in bed under fringed draperies; he supports his head on his hand; the bed-clothes are disordered. Below: 'Boozy and sick—with aching head,Toss'd sleepless, on my swan down bed;Sunk tow'rds morning in a dose,When dreams of frightfull import rose.'[2] The Regent lies uneasily asleep, clutching the bed-clothes. The Princess of Wales, with her back to the bed, puts out her arms to ward off a demon who is rising among clouds from the floor; the apparition clutches a serpent, and has hair composed of serpents. Below:Methought my Wife, with looks benign,Fix'd her forgiving eyes on mine,And strove with guardian hand to quell,The threat'ning progeny of hell.'[3] The Regent, wearing a dressing-gown, sits in an arm-chair facing a tall mirror, surrounded by four foreign valets, three of whom are at work on his hair or wig. He holds an open book: 'Memoirs of modern Lais-Ban'. Below:'At twelve awoke—rang for La GloireSkimm'd a licentious French memoir—Dress'd for two hours before the glass,With Schwartz—Antoine—Francois—La Place,'[4] The Regent sits in an arm-chair with a small table at his elbow on which is a tray with coffee-pot, &c.; McMahon (right) holds the back of his chair and looks over his shoulder at a sheet of patterns which he is inspecting. A man points to this sheet, a second stands by with more packets of patterns. Below:'Finish'd by three—took chasse caffe—Qualmish and splenetic all day—Inspected twentyseven packetsOf patterns for embroidring jackets;—'[5] The Regent, in back view and chapeau-bras, runs on tiptoe towards a door in a garden wall that McMahon furtively holds open. Outside a fat man stands behind the back wheels of a carriage. Beside the Regent run Lord Yarmouth and another courtier. Below:'Held with my Friends a consultationHow to shun public observation,—By the back gate slip'd out—was known—Saluted with a general groan—'[6] The Regent's coach and pair drives at a gallop towards the gateway in the screen of Carlton House, the coachman lashing the horses; two footmen stand behind. In the foreground well-dressed spectators watch with amusement. Below:'From hissing mobs compell'd to drive,Return'd full gallop—home by five—Swore in reveng [sic] to spend my lifeIn daily insults to my wife—'[7] The Regent sits at a writing-table, looking round to the left. On a stool near him is a pair of stays; on a high wig-block (left) is his curled wig (cf. No. 12184). On the wall is a large mirror, and against the wall stands a sofa.Below:'Worn with ennui—devour'd with spleen,Yawn'd—trifled—cursed and drank betweenWrote to the square—got dressed once more,New stay—new wig—new whiskers wore—'[8] The Regent's empty chair (left) stands at a dinner-table on which are decanters and glasses, some overturned or broken. Three guests lie under the table. The Prince, staggering tipsily, is being conducted from the room by McMahon and Yarmouth. Below:'At eight my dinner table gracedWith friends select—of kindred tasteI quaff'd till half were on the floor,Then reel'd to bed—quite drunk—at four—' Cf. No. 12296.Plate numbered 336. July 1814Hand-coloured etching

Producer name

School/style

Date

Materials

Technique

Dimensions

Height: 246 millimetres

Width: 350 millimetres

Inscriptions

Inscription Content

Lettered: "Pubd July 1814 by Thos Tegg 111 Cheapside".

Curator's comments

(Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', IX, 1949)[6] On 2 June the Prince Regent, on his way to the Drawing Room at Buckingham House, was hooted when his carriage entered the Park. 'Examiner', 1814, p. 363. This was on account of his exclusion of the Princess of Wales from the Drawing Room, at which Princess Charlotte made her first appearance. See No. 12278.[7] 'The square' denotes Manchester Square, and the Prince's daily visits to Lady Hertford, see No. 11865, &c.